Absorption refrigerating apparatus



7 March 15 1927.

B c. VON PLATEN ET AL ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Aue;.4, 1923 s Shee ts -Sheet 1 a l vizig .gxaio rzd March 15 1927- k B. c.

ABSORPTION VON PLATEN ET AL REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed 2.4. 1923 s Sheets-Sheet v 2 Irv-u grvi-oms .B.'C.vo :n P103611 1927 '1 620,843 March B. c. VON PLATEN ET AL ABSORPTION REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Au 4. 1925 s S heets She et 5 IN ENTO 3' j iw fir'ATTORNEY Patented Marl 19 27.

uNIrEn'fsTArEs.

PATENT OFFICE.

. namzlm CARL on rra'rnitior- 'YS'IAD, AND cam. 'enona mm'rnns, or BALL JABNA, swnnnu, assrenons, BY mnsnn ASSIGNMENTS, TO nLncrnoLUx snnvnr. oonronarron, A CORPORATION or DELAWARE.

ansonr rron nnrnrenna'rme Arrnnnrtrs.

Application filed August 4, 1923, Serial 170,655,768, and in Sweden August 18, 1922.

The invention relates to absorption refrigcrating apparatus in which the absorption liquid is circulated through the boiler and the absorber and more particularlyto absorption refrigerating apparatus of the kind in which the-boiler and the absorber are arranged in open communication with one another. a

The invention will be more closely described with reference to the accompanying schematic drawing, in which Fig. l illustrates an embodiment of the invention. Figs. 2, 3 and 4 show three dilterent modifications of the liquid; circulating device. Fig, 5 showsanother'embodiment of the invention.

The refrigerating apparatus comprises a boiler K, a cooler G and an absorber A. The boiler K contains the cooling agent for instance ammonia, dissolved in ,water, whereasfthe oooler" ;G and the absorber A contain a gas-10rgasinixture, which is inert' with respect.tb the cooling agent and which may be hydrogen? "The cooler and the. ab-

'. tmgs, disposed ina number of tubular cells sorber preferably contain a porous or fibrous v expelled from the water and caused to flow material E, for instance metal wool or cut- F, which communicate wit-hone another at the top and at the bottom, and which are I cooler, and the absorber respectively, over provided with perforatedfbottoms H. Said porous or fibrous material serves as a means for distributing the liquid. entering the a large surface at the same time facilitating the transfer of hat. The gas chamber of.

the boiler is connected 'by mean's'of a condenser coil C, placed together with the ab sorber in a cooling water tank B, with the upper part of the cooler G, the end of the pipe entering the cooler forming a perforated distributor I. The cooler G and the absorber A are arranged in unobstructed communication with one anotherby means of pipes M and N connecting the receptacles at the top and at the bottom respectively and forming together'a heat exchanger R, the

' pipe M being located inside the pipe N.

The cooler should generally be located at a higher level than the absorber in order to prevent the lower pipe connection between the cooler and the absorber to be closed up by liquid (see Fig. 5).

The boiler and the absorber are connected with one another by means of pipes L and P so as to form a closed circulating system for the absorption liquid, the boiler and the ab sorber beingv thus permanently in open communication with one another. The pipe L opens at one end into the boiler at thebottom thereof and'at the other end into the upper part of the absorher.,..the latter end of the pipe forming a perforated distributor 0.

The pipe L is located inside the pipe P so as to form a heat exchanger S. The end of the pipe P entering into the boiler is formed into a coil T,'-f0r facilitating the transfer of heat, and opens either into the liquid or into from the boiler through the condenser coil O, and a liquid seal U to the cooler G. The

ammonia will be condensed in the condenser so as to reach the cooler in a liquid condition. The ammonia will, consequently, flow into and spread over the porous or fibrous material E at the same time evaporating and diffusing into the hydrogen in the cooler while absorbing heat from the surroundings of the cooler. The mixture of. hydrogen and ammonia, which is heavier than the hydrogen itself, will flow through the pipe N into' the cooled absorber A and in rising through the fibrous material E in the cells F it..will be brought in contact with the liquid flowing down through the absorber, theammoma but not the hydrogen being then dissolved or absorbed 'in the liquid. The ammonia will thus be separated from the gas mixture,

whereas the hydrogen will rise through the absorber and return to the cooler G through the pipe M. In entering the cooler the hydrogeuwill again mix with fresh ammonia" vapour. The automatic. ciroulatlon of the inert gaswill thus be maintained substanand unobstructed communication with one another, substantially the same absolute;-

pressure will prevail throughout the whole apparatus.

The circulation of the absorption liquid will be effected in such a manner that the concentrated solution collecting at the bottom of the absorber is returned to the boller through the pipe P, whereas the liquid which is poor in ammonia is suppl1ed to the absorber through the pipe L. The clrculation is maintained exclusively by the thermal connection betwe u the circulating system and the boiler, the liguid being preheated in v the heat exchanger and further heated in the coil T, which then operates as a thermosiphon through which the liquid is lifted by the gas developed therein to a level that is high enough to allow the liquld to flow directly into the absorber. It should be observed that the level of the liquid in the boiler need not necessarily be higher than the level of the distributor O in the absorber. A certain difference between the pressures in the boiler and the absorber might occur on account of the fiowreslstance in the condenser or by throttling the flow of ammonia to the cooler the pressure being then somewhathigher in the boiler'than in the absorber. Such a rise of pressure in the boiler will evidently lower the liquid level in the boiler and raise the liquid level in the absorber to a corresponding extent.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 the 4 supply of heat to the liquid circulating pump T is effected indirectlv through the liquid contents of the boiler, the pump being provided in the liquid chamber of the boiler, while; the boiler is adapted to be heated externally. This arrangement has the disadvantage that the heat supplied to the boiler is taken up in the first instance by the liquid discharged from the ump said liquid being already partly deprivedof gas, whereas the pump is heated only indirectly through the liquid. Owing to this fact the development of gas in the liquid pumpmay under certain circumstances particularly at high pressures in the system and weak concentration of the ammonia solution, be too little to cause the pump to work satisfactorily. Said disadvantage is overcome acco ing to the invention by the supply of hea being directed in the first instance to the rich am monia's'olution flowing through the pump as illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4in which the v Lea ers lines.

lfifr liquid pump is arranged in "direct relation to the source of heat of the boiler. The proportion of the gas quantities developed 1n the ump and in the boiler is thereby changed so that a relatively lar e amount of gas will be separated out alrea y in the liquid pump, whereby a satisfactorv circulation of the liquid is obtained under all circumstances.

Inthearrangements shown in Fig. 2 the boiler K is adapted to be heated by means of a gas burner 1 provided at the lower opening of a tube 2jextending through the boiler and adapted to be heated by thecombustion gases and to transfer heat to the liquid contents of the boiler. The leading in pipe P, which conveys liquid rich in ammonia, is formed into a coil T surrounding the tube 2. The coil T is then in direct thermalconnection with the heating device and will therefore be heated vigorously so that the liquid entering the boilerwill be deprived of gas to a great extent already in the coil, whereby the circulation of the liquid is secured. If it is wanted to further increase the temperature of the pump a sleeve or coating of heat insulating material may be provided on the outer side of the pump to impede the. transmission of heat to the liquid contents of the boiler. For the same propurpose the coil may instead of it be vided inside the tube 2 so that it will be directly swept by the combustion gases.

he apparatus may be provided with electrical heating. In the arrangement according to Fig. 2 it is possible without altering theconstruction of the apparatus to use 211-. ternatively either gas heating or electrical heating. In the case last mentioned an electrical heater 3 may be introduced in the lower part of the. tube 2 as shown in chain In Fig. 3 the pump consists ofa receptacle 4 provided in the liquid chamber of the boiler said receptacle being connected at one side to the pipe P and at the other side thermal through a riser pipe 5 to the as chamber of the boiler. In this case the eating device consists of an electrical heater 3 inserted in the receptacle 4 so as to be surrounded on all sides by the liquid contents of tne, receptacle 4. The pumping is effected by the gas developed in the receptacle 4 forcing periodically a liquid column uoward through the pipe 5. Upon the liquid level in the receptacle 4 thus sinkin below the opening of the pipe 5, the gas wi l escape through the pipe 5 thereby causing the liquid in the pipe to be discharged into the boiler; At the same time the pressure will be equalized so as to allow a new quantity of liquid to flow into the receptacle 4 the said course of operation being then repeated.

Fig. 4 shows another construction in which the electrical heater is made in the form of generator, a con a hollow cylinder enclosinglthe pipe P which I is arranged centrall in e boiler. In this arrangement the ric ammonia solution entering the boiler as well as the liquid contents of the boiler will be subjected toga direct heating by the heater 3. Also in this case the supply of heat to the pump may be regulated in the above mentioned way by providing a suitable heat insulation Whic will impede the transfer of heat to the liquid contents of the boiler.

The member K is more generally termed generator than boiler. The appended claimstherefore use enerator. as desi nating member K or a device used in place thereof. The member G is more generally termed evaporator than cooler. The apended claims therefor use evaporator as designating member G or a device used in place thereon.

We claim:

1. Refrigeratingd apparatus comprising a generator, a condenser, an evaporator, an absorber, means to interconnect the generator, condenser, evaporator and absorber to maintain the same total pressure therein,

said means including a liquid seal interposed between the condenser and evaporator.

2. Refrigeratin apparatus comprising a enser, an evaporator, an absorber, means to interconnect the generator, condenser, evaporator. and absorber,

said means including connections between the absorber and evaporator arranged to form a circuit, and a liquid seal interposed between the condenser and evaporator.

Refrigeratingapparatus comprising a generator, a condenser, an absorber, an

having its bottom situated at a than the top of said absorber, means to interconnect the generator, condenser, evaporator and absorber to maintain thesame total pressure therein, said means including vertically extending cemmunications between the absorber and evaporator arranged to form a circuit, said circuit being arranged to contain vertically extending bodies of fluid of such nature that circulation is caused to take place withevaporator in said circuit due to diflierence in specific weights of difi'erent vertically extending bodies and said communications being 'ar-' ranged to allow flow-of liquid therein from their evaporator ends and in one direction throughonttheir lengths and through their absorber ends into the absorber;

4. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a.

generator, a condenser, an absorber and an evaporator having its bottom situated at a higher level than the top of said labsorber,

the aforementioned parts being arranged in a circuit, means to conduct gas from the l lower part of the evaporator downwardly to the absorber and means to conduct gas from generator a condenser, an evaporator space and an absorbing space arranged in a circuit, the bottom of said evaporator space being situated at a higher level than the top of said absorbing space, and'means to move gases vertically through. said spaces in opposite directions.

6. Refrigeratin apparatus comprising a generator, a con enser, an evaporator, an absorber, the bottom of said evaporator being arranged at a higher level than the top of said absorber and independently thereof, a heat exchanger, and a plurality of pipes connecting said evaporator, said absorber and said heat exchanger to form with said evaporator, said absorber and said heat exchangera closed circuit for an aux iliary agent in the presence of which the cooling agent evaporates, and wherein heat is transferred from fluid passing upwardly from said absorber to said evaporator into fluid passing downwardly from said evaporator into said absorber.

7. Refrigerating apparatus comprising a generator, a condenser, an absorber, an evapduits being arranged to permit flow of 4 liquid therein into the absorber.

/ 8. A refrigerating system comprising a generator, a condenser, an evaporator and an-absorber forming a circuit for a cooling agent and including a pipe-connection between the condenser and evaporator having a portion bent downwardly and. again upwardly and adapted to hold liquid therein anda second circuit for an auxiliar agent including the evaporator and the a sorber,

said second circuit being of such nature as to permit circulation of said auxiliary agent therein due to factors system. 9. Refrigeratin apparatus comprising a generator, 9. con enser, an evaporator, an absorber, means to interconnect the generator, the condenser, the evaporator and the absorber to maintain the same total pressure therein, said means including aeoil within the generator heated exclusively by liquidtherein and a pipe connection between the condenser and evaporator having a portion bent downwardly and adapted to hold liquid therein.

wholly within the and again upwardly" generator, a condenser, an evaporator, an absorber, the bottom of 831d evaporator being arranged at a higher level than the top of- 5 said "absorber and said evaporator being arran ed independently of said absorber anda p urality of ipes connecting said evaporator and absor er to 'form with said evaporator and absorber a closed'circuit for anauxiliary agent in the presence of which the in cooling agent evaporates.

In testlmony whereof we affix our signatures.

BALTZAR CARL voN PLATEN. I CARL GEQRG MUNTERS. 

